"Billy the Kid" MGM+ series offers a sympathetic portrayal of the infamous Old West outlaw's upbringing, crimes, and legacy - but it may not be entirely accurate. The true story of Billy the Kid is clouded in mystery, with details like his birthplace and his father's death remaining uncertain.
How historically accurate is the TV show Billy the Kid?
Much of the first couple of episodes involved Billy's early life, which given the sketchy record remains somewhat speculative, but while the particulars can be questioned the overall circumstances of his upbringing it depicts are pretty close to what we know.
What is the most historically accurate movie about Billy the Kid?
The title reflects this fact - Gore Vidal's Billy The Kid has been billed with the author's name since it first aired in 1989. Fans of westerns will be quite pleased with Gore Vidal's Billy The Kid. It follows genre conventions closely and is regarded as the most historically accurate movie of the outlaw's life.
What is the most accurate Billy the Kid biography?
In 1983 Jon Tuska published his first edition of Billy the Kid, and it was immediately recognized as the most accurate account yet produced. Choice called it A magnificent tour de force and a model for others who would study legendary heroes of the American West.
Billy the Kid Meets Wyatt Earp in Jerome, Arizona. (Reprinted with permission from "Jerome - The Wickedest City" by William Wingfield, Hartcort Press, 1946.)
Yes John Wayne did know Wyatt Earp. John Wayne was gored as an extra and a prop boy. Wayne created his famous walk and talk in Westerns after Earp. It is said that John Wayne was a pallbearer at Wyatt Earps funeral.
Bonney, later known as Billy the Kid. It is evident that the two were friends, but how close has not been determined. Some say that Billy the Kid was the closest friend Garrett had at that time. Billy the Kid and his gang went on to become the most feared outlaws in the Southwest.
Well, until just a few years ago, that was exactly the case for one of America's most infamous and intriguing outlaws, Billy the Kid. For more than a century, only one photo of William H. Bonney (or Henry McCarty, as he was born) was ever authenticated.
Henry McCarty is believed to be born to an Irish immigrant named Catherine McCarty. Although the identity of his father is uncertain, Henry probably lived alone with his mother in the slums of New York City before moving to Indianapolis some time in the next decade.
Large rewards had been offered for his arrest by the Territorial authorities, and frequent attempts made to capture him. He was finally captured by my deputy, lodged in jail, and afterwards shot by Deputy Garrett in attempting to escape. The whole expense in making this arrest was $1.072.
Furthermore, it's mentioned that he had two siblings, but one disappeared from records, while the other did not maintain a connection with him beyond their childhood. It's safe to conclude that he did not have any offspring, and consequently, there are no living descendants.
Why did Billy the Kid call himself William H. Bonney?
Billy the Kid called himself William H. Bonney, but his original name was probably Henry McCarty. Bonney was his mother Catherine's maiden name, and William was the first name of his mother's longtime companion—William Antrin—who acted as Billy's father after his biological father disappeared.
Billy the Kid season 1 depicts the real-life friendship and loyalty formed between outlaws William H. Bonney and Jesse Evans. Evans initially offered Billy work on both sides of the law, teaching him how to work on a cattle ranch while also offering Billy new opportunities to steal livestock and other goods for profit.
Historians believe that his father (some say his name was William Bonney, others think it was Patrick Henry McCarty) died near the end of the Civil War, leaving his mother (variously identified as Catherine McCarty or Katherine McCarty Bonney) with two young sons.
Billy the Kid spoke his last words in Spanish. Calling out “¿Quién es? ¿Quién es?” before he was killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett, the young outlaw's final moments signal his diverse ethnic context.
DENVER (Reuters) - The only authenticated photograph of infamous Wild West gunslinger Billy the Kid was auctioned off to Florida billionaire William Koch for an $2.3 million on Saturday night.
He stood 5 foot 9 inches tall and weighed approximately 155 pounds. Billy had blue eyes, dirty blond hair, and had two front teeth that protruded. He wore a high-crowned sombrero with a green hatband and was right-handed. Billy also spoke fluent Spanish, was of above average intelligence, and was a born leader.
According to Pat Garrett, Billy was “quick as a flash.” While a good shot, he said, Billy “was no better than the majority of men who are constantly handling and using six-shooters. . . .”
Lean and muscular, at around 5-foot-8 in height and roughly 140 pounds, the Kid kept somewhat of a healthy regimen. Rarely, if ever, did he drink liquor or smoke, and he loved to sing and dance. He also enjoyed gambling and became proficient at cards, using his slight of hand while dealing Monte.
Henry quickly adapted to life in the rugged territory and became fluent in Spanish, but his sickly mother died of tuberculosis in 1874, leaving him an orphan at the age of just 14. Left in the care of an absentee stepfather, the future gunslinger spent the next year living in foster homes and boarding houses.
There is the movie Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, released in 1973 and directed by Sam Peckinpah. It is a revisionist Western motion picture and a great story though not historically accurate. In Hollywood, they say, don't mess up a good story by telling the truth. After all, it was a movie, not a documentary.
What did Pat Garrett do after killing Billy the Kid?
Pat Garrett, who Leon Metz described as, "the tall slayer of Billy the Kid, and without question the American West's most famous lawman after that deed," was Doña Ana County Sheriff and in 1901 became Collector of Customs headquartered in El Paso.
